Deadly Cobra Escapes Florida Home

OCALA, FL — A 2-foot-long snake with a sense of adventure managed to sneak out of its Ocala home late Monday night. While that might not seem like cause for alarm, this particular snake happens to be a monocled cobra with venom that can be deadly.

Not surprisingly, the snake’s disappearance from its home in the 900 block of Northeast Ninth Street in Ocala has prompted a rather large response. The critter is being sought by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and officers from the Ocala Police Department.

“Residents in the area are urged to use caution until this snake has been captured,” FWC wrote in a Tuesday media release. “Although reclusive by nature, cobras are highly venomous and will strike out if they feel threatened.”

The snake, officials say, has distinctive multi-color markings and is only about 2 feet long.

Anyone who seeks the snake is asked to call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Calling #FWC or *FWC will also work on cellphones.

See also: Florida’s Missing King Cobra Found

Residents should “not approach or attempt to capture this snake,” FWC's release said.

The snake’s disappearance was reported around 11:15 p.m. Monday by its owner, Brian Purdy, FWC said. Purdy, a venomous reptile permit holder, noticed the snake missing around 9 p.m. and alerted the agency after he could not locate the creature.

The cobra is the only one of Purdy’s creatures that escaped, FWC said. The agency is investigating how the snake escaped.

Monocled cobras have “one of the fastest acting snake venoms in the world,” according to Reptile Magazine. “The neurotoxins in its venom leads to drowsiness, neurological problems and muscle issues.”

This isn't the first time a cobra has gone on the lam in Florida. In 2015, an 8-foot king cobra managed to get out of an enclosure owned by Mike Kennedy, the star of Discovery Channel’s “Airplane Repo.” The creature was later found hiding under a dryer in an Ocoee home roughly a half-mile from where it went missing. That search lasted a few weeks.

Photo of the missing Ocala cobra courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission